Addendum to 2‐butoxyethylacetate (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate)
Assessment Values in Biological Material – Translation of the German version from 2016
Thomas Göen1Albert Rettenmeier2
Hans Drexler1 (Head of the working group “Assessment Values in Biological Material” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Andrea Hartwig3 (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
MAK Commission4
1 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Henkestraße 9–11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
2 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
3 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
4 Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany
Abstract
In 2015 the German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has re‐evaluated the biological tolerance value at the work place (BAT value) for 2‐butoxyethylacetate (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate) [CAS No. 112‐07‐2], considering butoxyacetic acid in urine to characterise the internal exposure.
Due to the high variability of conjugated amounts of the butoxyacetic acid and the limitation of conjugated amounts at high exposure levels the previous BAT value for free 2‐butoxyacetic acid is converted with a factor of 1.5. Additionally, the impact of diuresis is considered by the relation to the creatinine concentration. Therefore, a BAT value for the total butoxyacetic acid excretion of 150 mg butoxyacetic acid (after hydrolysis)/g creatinine was established. The sampling time is at the end of exposure/shift after several previous shifts.
As the effects of the two glycol ethers 2‐butoxyethyl acetate and 2‐butoxyethanol are largely the same in the human organism, the BAT value applies to both and for combined exposure. The two substances were discussed together in the addendum of 2‐butoxyethanol.
